Manners of Sleeping

And among His Signs is your sleep by night and by day, and your seeking of His Bounty.
Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who listen. Ar Room 30:23

And We have made your sleep as a thing for rest An Naba 78:9

We were talking about sleep the other day. The REM, dreams and how much sleep we all
need. The need to sleep early and all. What better way is to tell the children about sleep if
it is not an Islamic way. The sunnah way. Sleep is after all one of the major activity in
our daily lives.

Manners of Sleeping

1. Do brush your teeth. This is not part of the sunnah (please correct me if I am wrong).
But a good habit to do

2. Have wudoo on you. One should sleep as soon as one finishes their Isyak prayer. So
try to keep your wudhu’ until you sleep.

With wudhu’ Shaytan will be less able to disturb us in our sleep, Insya Allah.

3a. We must make sure all the doors are locked. And if we are using lamps, candles and
fire, we must extinguish them before sleeping.

Asking Permission
Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 74 :: Hadith 310
Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:

Allah’s Apostle said, “(At bedtime) cover the utensils, close the doors, and put out the
lights, lest the evil creature (the rat) should pull away the wick and thus burn the people
of the house.”

3b. When we close the door, recite Allah’s name over it

Drinks
Bukhari :: Book 7 :: Volume 69 :: Hadith 527

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:

Allah’s Apostle said, “When night falls (or when it is evening), stop your children from
going out, for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night has
passed, release them and close the doors and mention Allah’s Name, for Satan does not
open a closed door. Tie the mouth of your water-skin and mention Allah’s Name; cover
your containers and utensils and mention Allah’s Name. Cover them even by placing
something across it, and extinguish your lamps. “

Mention Allah’s name for Shaytan cannot open closed doors. We want to try our best so
that Shaytan does not mix with us.

3c. From the hadith above, it is clear that we must also cover our containers and utensils
even by placing something across it.

The Book of Drinks (Kitab Al-Ashriba)

Muslim :: Book 23 : Hadith 4991
Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
Cover vessels, waterskins, close the doors and extinguish the lamps, for the Satan does
not loosen the waterskin, does not open the door and does not uncover the vessels. And
if one amongst you fails to find (something) to cover it well, he should cover it by placing
(a piece of) wood across it. Qutaiba did not mention the closing of the doors in the hadith
transmitted by him.

4. Dusting the bed before lying down

The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and

Seeking Forgiveness (Kitab Al-Dhikr)
Muslim :: Book 35 : Hadith 6554

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as say- ing: When
any one of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem of his lower garment and
then should clean (his bed) with the help of that and then should recite the name of
Allah for he himself does not know what he left behind him on his bed, and when he
intends to lie on bed, he should lie on his right side and utter these words:” Hallowed be
Allah, my Lord. It is with Thine (grace) that I place my side (upon the bed) and it is with
Thee that I take it up (after sleep), and in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest
me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing
on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants.”

Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)

Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 93 :: Hadith 490

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “When anyone of you goes to bed, he should dust it off thrice with
the edge of his garment, and say: Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi, wa bika arfa’hu. In
amsakta nafsi faghfir laha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfaz bihi ‘ibadaka-s-
salihin.”

From the hadith above we learned that

1. we should dust our bed before lying down to sleep

2. We should dust it three times

3. Mention Allah’s name when dusting

4. It is recommended to use the inside of the lower garment.

5. Sleep on the right side and place your cheek on your right hand

Invocations
Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 75 :: Hadith 323
Narrated Al-Bara bin ‘Azib:

Allah’s Apostle said to me, “When you want to go to bed, perform ablution as you do for
prayer, then lie down on your right side and say: ‘Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa
fauwadtu Amri ilaika wa aljatu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, lamalja’a wa la
manja mink a ill a ilaika. Amantu bikitabi kalladhi anzalta wa bi nabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta’.
If you should die then (after reciting this) you will die on the religion of Islam (i.e., as a
Muslim); so let these words be the last you say (before going to bed)” While I was
memorizing it, I said, “Wa birasiulikal-ladhi arsalta (in Your Apostle whom You have
sent).’ The Prophet said, “No, but say: Wa binabiyyi-kalladhi arsalta (in Your Prophet
whom You have sent).”

Invocations
Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 75 :: Hadith 326
Narrated Hudhaifa:

When the Prophet went to bed at night, he would put his hand under his cheek and then
say, “Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya,” and when he got up, he would say, “Al-
Hamdu lil-lahi al-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana, wa ilaihi an-nushur.”